Pacers lose Aaron Nesmith with right leg injury during 3rd quarter of Game 3 vs. Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers lost their top defender, Aaron Nesmith, with a sprained right ankle midway through the third quarter Sunday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks.

Nesmith landed awkwardly when he jumped to throw a pass into the corner that sailed high and wound up in the seats. After play stopped, Nesmith remained down briefly before his teammates helped him up and then motioned for the trainers help.

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Nesmith struggled to put weight on the leg, needed assistance to leave the court and went straight to the locker room.

He had been Indiana's primary defender on All-Star guard Jalen Brunson as the Pacers pulled out to a 70-57 lead. Indiana leads the series 2-0 after winning the first two games in New York.

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